Field of the Disclosure
The present subject matter relates to merchandise tracking tags. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to assemblies employing wireless communication approaches such as radio frequency identification (“RFID”) technology useful in the context of merchandise production, processing and merchandising, which functions as a security and/or identification tag in the form of an identification label, patch, decorative component or the like and especially suitable for clothing.
Description of Related Art
Devices incorporating wireless communication approaches including RFID technology are widely used for a variety of different applications, including inventory control, tracking, guard and security systems. Such systems are well known in the retail industry, including in connection with clothing inventory control and security from theft and other losses.
RFID devices may have a variety of integrated components, among them an RFID chip containing data such as an identification code for the type of product and/or product component, allowing for immediate electronic identification and tracking of the exact piece of goods associated with a unique identification code. Other components include an antenna electrically connected to the RFID chip, which is responsible for transmitting signals to and/or receiving signals from another RFID device, for example, an RFID reader system.
In one example, an RFID reader is associated with a point-of-sale location or check-out counter of a retail facility and detects the chip in a tag associated with a piece of goods, which can include the stock keeping unit (SKU) and register price of that item, as well as other specific identification indicia. In another example, an RFID-readable tag is attached to a piece of merchandise in a retail facility, which tags are scanned using an RFID reader to keep proper count of the product inventory and/or to be used as a security measure functioning as a so-called guard tag.
RFID devices and antennas associated with or forming a part of such devices are well known. RFID chips or tags are well known and can include antennas suitable for particular intended uses. For example, an RFID device can include RFID chip, tag or strap in electronic communication with one or more dipole form antenna, which can feature radiating elements, such as on either side of the chip, tag or strap, with each radiating element configured to facilitate antenna performance. In some circumstances, the antenna component takes the form of a hybrid loop-slot antenna or slot-loop hybrid antenna, at times referred to as a “sloop” antenna. A variation is a hybrid loop-aperture antenna, as generally known in the art.
Typical RFID devices of these general types are susceptible to damage and reduction or elimination of expected operability upon exposure to the conditions of industrial processing of clothing, components or other items or products, particularly those made of fabric material. At times herein, these are referred to as “fabric items.” Such susceptibility can be experienced before, during and/or after manufacturing and processing and subsequent warehousing, merchandising, use and handling by consumers. Included are industrial-type washing and other processing of fabric clothing and/or components, including denim items, as well as home laundering and wear-and-tear during consumer use. For example, traditional RFID tags, labels and printed fabric labels are not durable in apparel applications regarding home laundry wash or industrial-type wash cycles. In addition, RFID tags fail in many apparel manufacturing processes such as denim stone wash or enzyme bleaching.